The South Carolina Disaster Recovery Office is opening several mobile intake centers to accept applications for residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016.
A permanent office is located at 1404 N. Main St. in Marion, with hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
The nearest intake center to Clarendon County will be the one in Williamsburg County, at the Disaster Preparedness Agency, 2086 Thurgood Marshal Blvd. in Kingstree. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 24-25 and 9 a.m. to non Aug. 26.
The housing program will concentrate on the repair and/or replacement of homes based on eligibility and priority need. SCDRO will focus on serving the most vulnerable citizens, giving priority to those who cannot recover themselves. To be eligible for the program, residents must have disaster-caused damage to their home as a result of the October 2016 Hurricane Matthew and own property or live in one of the 24 declared counties.
Eligibility, however, does not guarantee assistance. Factors that determine citizen priority include income level, disability, and age.
SCDRO will oversee the funds allocated for the 24 counties impacted by Hurricane Matthew. The counties served by this program include Clarendon, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chesterfield, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter, and Williamsburg.
Residents who believe they are eligible for the program may call the toll-free number 1 (844) 410-8560 to make an appointment. For more information, citizens should visit the SCDRO web site at www.scdr.sc.gov or email ContactSCDR@scdr.sc.gov.